TRANSCRIPT
Topics: Voice to Parliament
15 May 2023
E&OE.
Rita Panahi
A renewed push is underway from the Liberal Party over the race based referendum, the so called indigenous Voice. The party’s new legal affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash has warned that the voice is discriminatory, divisive and will destroy equality of citizenship. Joining me now from Perth is the Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. Senator, thank you for your time. You say the voice will embed division based on race in the Constitution? How will it do that? And what is your message to the Australian people?
Senator Cash
Well in the first instance Rita, my message to the Australian people is a very simple one. If you don’t know how the voice is going to work, vote no. If you don’t know, vote, no. But why do I say that? Well, the voice is four things. It’s risky, it’s unknown, it’s divisive, and on top of all of that, it’s permanent. And in relation to the divisive nature, what Mr Albanese is doing is dividing this country on the basis of race. He is asking Australians to permanently enshrined in our Constitution, the rulebook that governs our nation, a right that 4% of the population have, 96% do not have it, and that right is based solely on their race to make representations in relation to absolutely anything. From submarines, as we’ve heard through to parking tickets. And as Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says, we are one together, not two divided. And I say shame on Mr. Albanese. If you don’t know, vote, no.
Rita Panahi
But Michaelia, why couldn’t the Liberal Party come out against this divisive, dangerous proposal earlier? Why did it take 10 months to realize that what was being proposed was fundamentally wrong on principle, nevermind the detail.
Senator Cash
Because this was always about Mr. Albanese providing to the Australian people the details behind the Voice. This is Mr. Albanese’s signature policy. He needs to be upfront and honest with the Australian people and that is what Peter Dutton was doing. As you know, earlier this year, Peter wrote to Mr. Albanese, and he asked a series of very basic questions. How will the Voice work? How will the people be elected? Mr. Albanese has still failed to answer any of those questions. Mr. Albanese is saying this to the Australian people: Australian people, vote on the vibe. And guess what? The Parliament and I will fill out those details later. Well Rita, would you trust Mr. Albanese by voting on the vibe and then letting him fill out the details later? Most people do not trust politicians. That just happens to be a fact. And yet Mr. Albanese is saying to them. Trust me, it’ll be all right. Again, if you don’t know, vote no. Mr. Albanese was given ample time to be upfront with the Australian people and he was not. We then formulated our position and as you know, under Peter Dutton, it is a resounding no. It is risky, it is unknown, it is divisive, and it is permanent.
Rita Panahi
Now we’ve had Julian Leeser already step down from the front bench over his support for the referendum. He says it’s flawed, but he’s still gonna back it. But we’ve got shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham who says he’s not going to campaign for the no vote, but he won’t resign from the front bench. Senator, how can the Liberals hope to prevail when you have people on the front bench who are not on board with your position?
Senator Cash
Well, Simon Birmingham and all members of the Shadow Cabinet and indeed the Shadow Ministry, they support Peter Dutton’s stance on the voice. We are voting no, it is a personal decision as to whether or not you actively campaign for it. I personally have made my position very clear to the people of Western Australia and the people of Australia. I will be actively campaigning to ensure that this constitutional amendment that as I said, is risky, unknown, permanent and divisive, does not get up. And again I just fall back on what Senator Nampijinpa Price says, our Indigenous Affairs spokesperson: We are one together not two divided. But what is worse, Rita, in terms of Mr. Albanese refusing to provide the Australian people with detail, and it’s all over the front page of the Australian today. This is the first step in a three part process, the Voice, treaty, truth. Now Mr. Albanese should be upfront with the Australian people. This is not the end of the process. This is the beginning of the process. Voice, treaty, truth. The Australian people should be asking, well how much is that going to cost us in the end?
Rita Panahi
Well, we’ve got some indications of how much it’s going to cost just at state level. You’ve got the treaty deals the Queensland Government is considering. Hundreds of millions. And we know they’re basing these on what’s been put in place in places like New Zealand and Canada. And it’s caused all sorts of issues there even in the early days, are those really the models we should be following?
Senator Cash
No, they’re not Rita, and what Mr. Albanese fails to recognise, and again, shame on him. All Australians want to see better outcomes for the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. But this is not the way you do it. You do not seek to divide our country based on race, and ask them to actually change the way that Australia is governed, because we are changing the rulebook, and refuse to give them any details as to how this will be done. You know, Mr. Albanese doesn’t go to rural and regional and remote communities like those on the Coalition side do. The last time I was in Laverton, I can tell you they were more concerned about getting Mr. Albanese to restore the Cashless Debit Card. It was his government that did not listen to the people in Leonora and Laverton. They were begging Mr. Albanese: do not abolish the Cashless Debit Card. Did Mr. Albanese listen to their voices? No, he did not. But what is worse, he did the exact opposite as to what they were asking. You know, you tell me how many cases of domestic violence will be solved by an elite group of people advocating via another layer of bureaucracy in Canberra? Well, I can tell you right now, a fourth layer of government will not make any positive difference. But guess what, Rita? It may well take a step backwards. An elite group of people in Canberra does not represent the voices of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people in remote and regional Australia.
Rita Panahi
Michaelia Cash, thank you so much for your time this evening
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